Long-lasting pigment fixation of ancient paintings using hydrophilic microgels prepared from hydroxyethyl cellulose and sodium alginate.

The long-term fixation of mineral pigments in ancient paintings has always been a challenge. Gelatin alum solution (GAW), as a traditional pigment fixative, presents good pigment fixation in the early stage of use, but its poor durability is well known. In this work, a microgel (SH) prepared from sodium alginate and hydroxyethyl cellulose was proposed to replace GAW for the pigment fixation due to its micro scale, strong adhesion, and good chemical stability.

Tough hydrogel-coated containment capsule of magnetic liquid metal for remote gastrointestinal operation.

Gallium-based liquid metals, when combined with magnetic agents, emerge as intelligent materials with potential applications in soft robotics within biomedical engineering. However, concerns have arisen from the residual presence of liquid metal, raising long-term biological risks. Herein, we propose a containment method that involves the rolling of magnetic liquid-metal droplets in lyophilized powders, resulting in the formation of intact hydrogel coatings upon hydration.

Simultaneous control of three degrees of freedom in perfect vector vortex beams based on metasurfaces.

The perfect vector vortex beams (PVVBs) have played an important role in various fields due to their advantages of unique vortex features, flexible polarization distribution and multiple degrees of freedom (DoFs). The simultaneous and precise control over multiple DoFs, such as the polarization distribution, beam shape and position which greatly influence various characteristics of PVVBs, holds paramount importance. However, it is still difficult to manipulate various DoFs in a multiplexing way and the control precision of polarization distribution only reaches the half-integer level, notably hindering the further application and development of PVVBs.

Pattern Separation and Pattern Completion Within the Hippocampal Circuit During Naturalistic Stimuli.

Pattern separation and pattern completion in the hippocampus play a critical role in episodic learning and memory. However, there is limited empirical evidence supporting the role of the hippocampal circuit in these processes during complex continuous experiences. In this study, we analyzed high-resolution fMRI data from the "Forrest Gump" open-access dataset (16 participants) using a sliding-window temporal autocorrelation approach to investigate whether the canonical hippocampal circuit (DG-CA3-CA1-SUB) shows evidence consistent with the occurrence of pattern separation or pattern completion during a naturalistic audio movie task.

Ultralow Coordination Copper Sites Compartmentalized within Ordered Pores for Highly Efficient Electrosynthesis of -Propanol from CO.

Coordinatively unsaturated copper (Cu) has been demonstrated to be effective for electrifying CO reduction into C products by adjusting the coupling of C-C intermediates. Nevertheless, the intuitive impacts of ultralow coordination Cu sites on C products are scarcely elucidated due to the lack of synthetic recipes for Cu with low coordination numbers and its vulnerability to aggregation under reductive potentials. Herein, computational predictions revealed that Cu sites with higher levels of coordinative unsaturation favored the adsorption of C and C intermediates.

Tough and Functional Hydrogel Coating by Electrostatic Spraying.

Hydrogel coatings impart superior surface properties to materials, but their application on large and complicated substrates is hindered by two challenges: limited wetting conditions and intricate curing processes. To overcome the challenges, lyophilized adhesive hydrogel powders (LAHPs) are developed, which consist of poly(acrylic acid-co-3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate) crosslinked with chitosan. These powders are electrostatic sprayed onto substrates to address wetting issues and rehydrated to form bulk hydrogel coatings to circumvent curing challenges.

Contribution of telacebec to novel drug regimens in a murine tuberculosis model.

The clinical efficacy of combination drug regimens containing the first-generation diarylquinoline (DARQ) bedaquiline in the treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis has validated ATP synthesis as a vulnerable pathway in . New DARQs in clinical development may be even more effective than bedaquiline, including against emerging bedaquiline-resistant strains. Telacebec (T) is a novel cytochrome bc:aa oxidase inhibitor that also inhibits ATP synthesis.

Inhibition of hepatocellular carcinoma progression by methotrexate-modified pH-sensitive sorafenib and schisandrin B micelles.

Due to the lack of specific symptoms, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is often detected in advanced stages. However, pharmacological systemic therapy, a common clinical treatment for advanced HCC, is prone to serious toxic side effects. To address these issues, we designed a pH-sensitive sorafenib and schisandrin B micelle modified by methotrexate (MTX-SOR/SchB micelles), a nanosystem that combines the advantages of targeted delivery and pH sensitivity, and is capable of improving drug bioavailability and mitigating drug toxic side effects.

Synergetic bifunctional Cu-In alloy interface enables Ah-level Zn metal pouch cells.

Rechargeable aqueous zinc-metal batteries, considered as the possible post-lithium-ion battery technology for large-scale energy storage, face severe challenges such as dendrite growth and hydrogen evolution side reaction (HER) on Zn negative electrode. Herein, a three-dimensional Cu-In alloy interface is developed through a facile potential co-replacement route to realize uniform Zn nucleation and HER anticatalytic effect simultaneously. Both theoretical calculations and experimental results demonstrate that this bifunctional Cu-In alloy interface inherits the merits of low Zn-nucleation overpotential and high HER overpotential from individual copper and indium constituents, respectively.

User-wise perturbations for user identity protection in EEG-based BCIs.

. An electroencephalogram (EEG)-based brain-computer interface (BCI) is a direct communication pathway between the human brain and a computer. Most research so far studied more accurate BCIs, but much less attention has been paid to the ethics of BCIs.

Contribution of direct InhA inhibitors to novel drug regimens in a mouse model of tuberculosis.

Isoniazid is an important first-line medicine to treat tuberculosis (TB). Isoniazid resistance increases the risk of poor treatment outcomes and development of multidrug resistance, and is driven primarily by mutations involving , encoding the prodrug-activating enzyme, rather than its validated target, InhA. The chemical tractability of InhA has fostered efforts to discover direct inhibitors of InhA (DIIs).

Characteristics, drivers and ecological risk assessment of microplastics in the surface water of urban rivers in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area cities - A case study of Dongguan city.

In the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), microplastic pollution in urban rivers is a prominent problem due to the developed economy and high industrial intensity. Using the Xiaohai River, Hanxi River and Dongguan Canal in Dongguan City, an important node city in the GBA, as an example, microplastic characteristics, drivers and ecological risks in the surface water of three rivers were investigated. Results showed that the average abundance of rivers in the wet period (1646.

Federated Motor Imagery Classification for Privacy-Preserving Brain-Computer Interfaces.

Training an accurate classifier for EEG-based brain-computer interface (BCI) requires EEG data from a large number of users, whereas protecting their data privacy is a critical consideration. Federated learning (FL) is a promising solution to this challenge. This paper proposes Federated classification with local Batch-specific batch normalization and Sharpness-aware minimization (FedBS) for privacy protection in EEG-based motor imagery (MI) classification.

Photoelectrochemical Ni-catalyzed cross-coupling of aryl bromides with amine at ultra-low potential.

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) cell is an ideal platform for organic transformation because of its green benefits and minimal energy consumption. As an emerging methodology, the reaction types of photoelectrocatalytic organic synthesis (PECOS) are limited to simple oxidation and C-H activation at current stage. Metal catalysis for the construction of C(sp)-N bonds has not been touched yet in PECOS.

Intrinsic Permanent Shape Reconfigurable Semicrystalline Biopolyester Thermoset.

Catalyst-free, volatile organic solvent (VOC)-free synthesis of biobased cross-linked polymers is an important sustainable feature in polyesterification. To date, these polyesters have been extensively studied for their fundamental sustainability across various uses. The ultimate potential sustainability for these materials, however, is constrained to static structural parts due to their intractable rigid three-dimensional (3D) network.

Customized Photoelectrochemical C-N and C-P Bond Formation Enabled by Tailored Deposition on Photoanodes.

Photoelectrochemistry (PEC) is burgeoning as an innovative solution to organic synthesis. However, the current PEC systems suffer from limited reaction types and unsatisfactory performances. Herein, we employ efficient BiVO photoanodes with tailored deposition layers for customizing two PEC approaches toward C-N and C-P bond formation.

Highly Efficient Ultraviolet Third-Harmonic Generation in an Isolated Thin Si Meta-Structure.

Nonlinear nanophotonic devices have shown great potential for on-chip information processing, quantum source, 3D microfabrication, greatly promoting the developments of integrated optics, quantum science, nanoscience and technologies, etc. To promote the applications of nonlinear nanodevices, improving the nonlinear efficiency, expanding the spectra region of nonlinear response and reducing device thickness are three key issues. Herein, this study focuses on the nonlinear effect of third-harmonic generation (THG), and present a thin Si meta-sructure to improve the THG efficiency in the ultraviolet (UV) region.

Steering Photooxidation of Methane to Formic Acid over A Priori Screened Supported Catalysts.

Efficient methane photooxidation to formic acid (HCOOH) has emerged as a sustainable approach to simultaneously generate value-added chemicals and harness renewable energy. However, the persistent challenge lies in achieving a high yield and selectivity for HCOOH formation, primarily due to the complexities associated with modulating intermediate conversion and desorption after methane activation. In this study, we employ first-principles calculations as a comprehensive guiding tool and discover that by precisely controlling the O activation process on noble metal cocatalysts and the adsorption strength of carbon-containing intermediates on metal oxide supports, one can finely tune the selectivity of methane photooxidation products.

Virulent isolates with diverse morphologies show similar invasion and colonization strategies in alfalfa.

Root rot is a major disease that causes decline of alfalfa production, and is a major pathogen associated with root rot. In this study, 13 isolates were obtained from alfalfa with root rot in Gansu Province, the major alfalfa production region in China. The isolates were characterized by molecular genotyping (, and fragments) and identified as six species, which included the , , , , , and .

Enhanced dynamic covalent chemistry for the controlled release of small molecules and biologics from a nanofibrous peptide hydrogel platform.

Maintaining safe and potent pharmaceutical drug levels is often challenging. Multidomain peptides (MDPs) assemble into supramolecular hydrogels with a well-defined, highly porous nanostructure that makes them attractive for drug delivery, yet their ability to extend release is typically limited by rapid drug diffusion. To overcome this challenge, we developed self-assembling boronate ester release (SABER) MDPs capable of engaging in dynamic covalent bonding with payloads containing boronic acids (BAs).

Insight into selectivity of photocatalytic methane oxidation to formaldehyde on tungsten trioxide.

Tungsten trioxide (WO) has been recognized as the most promising photocatalyst for highly selective oxidation of methane (CH) to formaldehyde (HCHO), but the origin of catalytic activity and the reaction manner remain controversial. Here, we take {001} and {110} facets dominated WO as the model photocatalysts. Distinctly, {001} facet can readily achieve 100% selectivity of HCHO via the active site mechanism whereas {110} facet hardly guarantees a high selectivity of HCHO along with many intermediate products via the radical way.

Stabilizing Zn/electrolyte Interphasial Chemistry by a Sustained-Release Drug Inspired Indium-Chelated Resin Protective Layer for High-Areal-Capacity Zn//VO Batteries.

For zinc-metal batteries, the instable chemistry at Zn/electrolyte interphasial region results in severe hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and dendrite growth, significantly impairing Zn anode reversibility. Moreover, an often-overlooked aspect is this instability can be further exacerbated by the interaction with dissolved cathode species in full batteries. Here, inspired by sustained-release drug technology, an indium-chelated resin protective layer (Chelex-In), incorporating a sustained-release mechanism for indium, is developed on Zn surface, stabilizing the anode/electrolyte interphase to ensure reversible Zn plating/stripping performance throughout the entire lifespan of Zn//VO batteries.

Channel reflection: Knowledge-driven data augmentation for EEG-based brain-computer interfaces.

A brain-computer interface (BCI) enables direct communication between the human brain and external devices. Electroencephalography (EEG) based BCIs are currently the most popular for able-bodied users. To increase user-friendliness, usually a small amount of user-specific EEG data are used for calibration, which may not be enough to develop a pure data-driven decoding model.